This invention relates primarily to electronic video gaming devices, and more particularly to electronic video slot machines that display multiple pay lines. While the present invention has many variations, the basic principle common to all of the variations is that the player selects one or more symbol locations from among all of the symbol locations on the slot reels. After the slot reels have been spun and the player is paid for any winning slot symbol combinations on active pay lines, the symbol locations chosen by the player are respun. The player is then paid for any more winning symbol combinations that the player has achieved after the respin of the individually selected symbol locations.
There have been many types of slot machines that adjust the symbol locations on the display of the slot reels after the spin of the reels has stopped. For example, there are slot machines that move a reel up or down one vertical reel stop location at the end of the initial reel spin. This gives the player the opportunity to receive a winning reel combination when one initially would not have existed.
Other proposed slot machines allow the player to respin the reels in attempt to improve the reel symbol combinations into a winning combination. U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,835 (Dietz) discloses a slot machine in which, after a losing spin of the reels, the player may select one or more slot symbols which are then respun in order to give the player the opportunity to achieve a winning symbol combination.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,977 (Bennett) discloses a slot machine in which a single slot symbol becomes a wild card and is moved through the matrix of reel stop locations in order to effect additional winning symbol combinations. The player is only awarded this feature when a certain predetermined arrangement of symbol combinations (a triggering event) appears during the initial spin of the reels. Similarly, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,251,013 (Bennett) upon the occurrence of a triggering event, one or more of the slot symbols are treated as special symbols such as wild card symbols or scatter pay symbols.
None of these slot machines allow the player to select one or more reel stop locations that are to be respun prior to the initial spin occurring. It is an object of the present invention to provide a slot machine in which the player can earn additional payouts after the spin of the reels has been completed.
It is a feature of the present invention that the player selects one or more reel stop locations as reel stop locations that are to be respun after the initial spin of the reels. This selection is made prior to the initial spin of the reels. After the reels have been spun and the player receives any payouts to which he is entitled, only the reel stop locations selected by the player are respun. The game display is then reanalyzed to determine if any winning symbol combinations occur after the respin has taken place and additional awards are paid to the player for such winning symbol combinations.
It is an advantage of the present invention that the player is provided with a second opportunity to win awards on account of the respinning of the selected symbol locations after the initial reel spin. This makes for a more entertaining slot machine experience and adds player interaction to the slot machine game since the player must select which symbols the player wishes to have switched.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description.